


Sheilded

by WatchforWitches



Series: Whumptober 2019 [4]
Category: Shadowhunters (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Best Friends, M/M, Not Actually Unrequited Love, Pre-Relationship, Whumptober 2019
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-10-04
Updated: 2019-10-04
Packaged: 2020-11-23 19:53:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,269
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20895200
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WatchforWitches/pseuds/WatchforWitches
Summary: Magnus is getting picked on and Alec steps in for his friend





	Sheilded

**Author's Note:**

> EDIT: Part two now up, under this series, day 7 Isolated!

Magnus was sitting in the nurse's office, holding an ice pack to his bleeding nose. The nurse had mentioned something about calling Jocelyn to come pick him up, Magnus didn't care. He just wanted to know Alec was alright.

Alec was in the principal's office, no doubt getting in trouble or getting his parents called on him. All because he helped Magnus. He felt guilty, he didn't want Alec to get dragged into his problems. He was worried about what would happen. 

"Is your nose okay?" Alec's voice pulled him from his thoughts. 

His head shot up and saw Alec standing in the doorframe, arms crossed over his chest. "Yeah. What happened with you?" 

"Days detention," Alec shrugged simply, "That asshole got suspended for a week though, so it was worth it." 

Magnus looked up to see Alec smirking, and frowned. They have been friends for years, growing up across the street from each other, they were basically inseparable. But Alec was the jock, and Magnus was the theater kid, and their classmates didn't care that they were best friends. Magnus was still the easy target.

"What's wrong?" Alec asked Magnus, moving to sit on the nurse's cot next to him. 

"I don't want you to get in trouble because of me," he told Alec seriously. 

Alec gave him a confused look, "That guy punched you in the nose," he pointed out, "What was I supposed to do?" 

Magnus shrugged, shifting uncomfortably, "Nothing? Ask me if it was broken after lunch? I don't know." 

"I'm not just going to let people push you around like that," Alec replied, voice surprised and almost angry. 

"You can't be my human sheild every time someone doesn't like me. I get picked on all the time, its just the way high school works." Magnus looked up at Alec, "I'm the bi theater kid who wears makeup and performs in musicals.." 

"That doesn't mean you deserve any of that shit," Alec argued back. "Magnus, I-" 

"Magnus? Jocelyn's here to take you home," the nurse interrupted whatever Alec had been about to say. 

"Okay," he gave the nurse a smile and stood up. Before he left he looked back to Alec and said, "I'll see you after school?" 

"Yeah," Alec agreed, swallowing around the lump in his throat.

-

After Magnus got home he was anxiously awaiting the end of the school day, to talk to Alec more. Jocelyn and Luke were both outraged, and had already yelled at the principal for fostering the environment that let this happen. Magnus tried to brush it off, but it made him happy that his adopted family truly accepted him. Clary would also be home soon and Magnus was sure she would talk nonstop about kicking someone's ass for him. They protected him, even if he didn't need it. 

Alec did the same, clearly wanting to protect Magnus. If he closed his eyes he could imagine it all over again. The way that guy had approached Magnus at lunch, holding the poster for the spring musical. The way he started to make fun of him, the way the word fag fell from his mouth and the way his fist had felt hitting Magnus' face. But then it was the strong boy picking him up, turning to stand between Magnus and his bully, pushing the kid back so hard he fell over onto his ass. The way he mentioned that the football team didn't take kindly to assholes, and how if he wasn't more careful he'd be taught a lesson. Alec didn't even hurt him, not really, but he scared the shit out of him. 

Then he hugged Magnus, in front of the whole school even, and helped him walk to the nurse's office, even thought Magnus swore he was fine really. 

If Magnus hadn't been in love with his friend before that, he certainly was now. 

It didn't matter, Alec would have done that for any of his friends or his siblings, it's just who he was. Alec was a good person, but that didn't mean he felt about Magnus the same way Magnus felt about him. It was okay though, Magnus told himself, it was fine.

Pulled from his thoughts yet again, there was a soft knock on his bedroom door. "Yeah," Magnus called, "Come in." 

The door opened slowly and Alec was standing behind it, looking uncharacteristically nervous. "Hey," He smiled, "How's your nose?"

Magnus shrugged, "Not broken. How was calculus?" 

Alec laughed at that, moving into Magnus' room and sitting on his bed next to him. "Awful as always." 

They were quiet for a moment Magnus looking at his hands and Alec looking at Magnus. "I really sorry that happened," Alec started, "I should have been faster, I should have broken his hand, something more than just yelling at him. I couldn't even think straight." 

Magnus looked up in surprise, Alec wasn't a violent person. Magnus remembers one game where Alec accidentally gave a player a concussion, and how he confessed to Magnus he felt really bad about it. "That would have just gotten you suspended," Magnus argues, "Then you wouldn't have been able to play on the team the rest of the year. It would be a shame to have Alicante high lose the championship just because of some idiot who picked on me." 

Alec shrugged, "You're more important to me than any championship," Alec said simply, "You don't deserve to get bullied just because you are yourself. Idiots lile him wish they could have even half your courage." 

Magnus blinked up at Alec, who was looking at his hands, rubbing the space between his thumb and finger. His nervous habit, Magnus knew. What he didn't know was why he was nervous. "Hey," Magnus spoke, touching Alec's arm to get his attention, "I'm okay." 

"I know," Alec said, "I know, I just can't stop seeing his fist hitting you. I've never been more mad in my life. I didn't know I could feel that mad." 

Magnus does grab his hand then, intertwining their fingers and ignoring the skip in his heartbeat. "Why were you so mad?" He asks before he can stop himself. "People have picked on me before." 

Alec squeezes his hand, "You told me once," he starts, ignoring the question, "That being able to dance and act and sing made you really happy. The show's next week, I thought that maybe he could have-" he shakes his head, shrugging, "that he could have given you a black eye or a concussion or something. I didn't want you to get pulled from the performance." 

Magnus is taken aback at the reply, they had that conversation years ago, when Magnus performed in the talent show, gotten his first standing ovation for his dance solo. "I didn't think you remembered that." 

"Of course I did." Alec tells him simply, "I won't let anything fuck up your first leading role."

"That's really sweet," Magnus tells him, "But don't go around throwing yourself in front of everyone like some kind of human sheild, alright?" Magnus nudges his shoulder, laughing lightly. 

"I'll try my best," Alec laughs in reply. 

Just like that, any of the heaviness of their lingering conversation is dropped. Alec catches him up on the classes he missed, they play video games, and Alec stays for dinner where Clary bugs him about Jace. They are best friends, and Magnus loves him, but for now, everything worked out for the best. One day, Magnus thinks, watching him across the table, watching his eyes crinkle in laughter of something Clary had said, one day he would tell him.

**Author's Note:**

> Sorry for the abrupt ending, I had other plans for the ending but they would have been much lengthier to write. If anyone wants a sequel including Alec confessing let me know, or maybe it will be connected to another prompt of whumptober if one fits.  
Kudos/Comments/Feedback much appreciated! <3


End file.
